Mercedes-AMG Wants to Make You The Perfect Set of Gloves for your ONE Hypercar

Mercedes-AMG sure is a stickler for detail

There are cars in this business that are exclusive, and there are cars in this business that are exclusive. The Mercedes-AMG ONE belongs in the latter group. It’s so exclusive that Mercedes-AMG only plans to build 275 units of the Formula One technology-derived hypercar. It’s so exclusive that each of the 275 units costs almost $3 million. It’s so exclusive that, apparently, Mercedes-AMG sent all 275 prospective owners a box with a template inside it. The customers are required to imprint their hands on the template so AMG can make them the perfect pair of driving gloves. And if you’re wondering how much these customers had to pay to reserve one slot for the ONE, the answer is around $565,000 based on current exchange rates. That’s only the deposit, folks. The freakin’ deposit.

Well, Mercedes-AMG promised a hypercar of epic proportions, didn’t it? This is the price we have to pay for the automaker fulfilling that promise. Say what you will about the ONE — the name is silly — but there’s no denying that $2.7 million is money well-spent if it means getting your hands on this thing of beauty.

One lucky owner, in particular, revealed a few interesting details about the ONE hypercar, not the least of which is the meticulous approach Mercedes-AMG has taken in curating the whole customer experience that comes with buying one of these things. In the video, the owner — we don’t get to see his face, but he sounds like YouTube personality Shmee150 — opened a small, rectangular box that contained a template for a hand imprint. The template was accompanied by specific instructions, specifically for the owner to imprint his hand onto it so AMG could use that imprint to make the owner a pair of gloves that specifically matches the size and shape of their hands. You won’t see the likes of Honda and Toyota doing this, will you?

In addition to that revelation, the would-be owner also disclosed the AMG ONE’s reservation price. If you thought $100,000 or $200,000 would do it, guess again.

Apparently, you’re going to have to fork over a whopping 500,000 euros for just the deposit.

That converts to about $565,000, which is enough money to buy you a Lamborghini Huracan and a Ferrari 488 GTB, and still have enough in change to splurge on, say, a Porsche 911 Turbo? That’s three of the most desirable supercars on the market today for the deposit of a Mercedes-AMG ONE.

Don’t get it twisted, though. The Mercedes-AMG ONE is worth every penny you have to pay to bring one home with you. The hypercar was designed for performance. You can see it in its design. How often do you actually see a production car with a central intake on the roof, an aero-extending front splitter, and active ventilation louvers on the front wheel arches? Mind you; the AMG ONE has all of these aero components. I haven’t even pointed out the Formula One-style fin that runs the length of the car and the two-stage extendable rear spoiler that helps the hypercar keep its body on the ground. Below the spoiler is a twos-section diffuser, which further enhances the hypercar’s downforce.

The Mercedes-AMG ONE’s power comes in the form of a mid-mounted, turbocharged, hybrid gasoline-electric engine juiced by no less than four electric motors. One of these motors is even used to spin the compressor, which, in turn, creates on-demand boost for the driver, eliminating any notion of turbo lag in the hyper. Mercedes-AMG’s level of ingenuity really knows no bounds. The total combined output sits at 1,100 horsepower.

All that power is sent to the two rear wheels via a single-clutch automatic transmission, and that process helps the AMG ONE sprint from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.5 seconds on its way to a top speed run of 217 mph.

There’s no understating or underselling the Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar. When Mercedes-AMG said that it was going to develop a hypercar of epic proportions, it did so with the goal of shaking up the niche segment in ways we haven’t seen since Ferrari, Porsche, and McLaren unveiled the LaFerrari, 918 Spyder, and P1, respectively. It might be too early to label the AMG ONE as a pioneer in the segment, but, at the very least, it’s in the discussion alongside Aston Martin’s own hybrid hypercar, the Valkyrie.

So, does getting a template with specific instructions to imprint your hand on the template count as another exclusive touch to what is already an exclusive hypercar. You better believe it. Besides, if you’re paying close to $3 million for one model, you should at least expect to receive special treatment from Mercedes-AMG, no matter what form that treatment that is. A perfect set of gloves that fits the exact specification of your hands is a small price to pay for Mercedes-AMG, especially when the tradeoff is you forking over $3 million to buy one of the 275 units that Mercedes-AMG is building.

Oh, and about that. All 275 units are accounted for, though if you are really desperate to buy one, you can browse through online car auctions and try your luck.

Against the behest of Mercedes-AMG, one build slot for the ONE hypercar made its way online last year with a purchase price of almost $6 million.

2020 Mercedes-AMG Project One Drivetrain Specifications

Rear-wheel drive

1.6-liter V6 with direct injection, four valves per cylinder, four overhead camshafts and electrically boosted single turbocharger, electric motor connected to the crankshaft